Calling all sports artists … Beckett Media wants to hear from you!

From vintage sets to today’s sketch cards and countless collectable lithograph options, art is everywhere in the collectibles world.

In a future issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly, we’re going to explore memorable artwork, sets (1953 Topps, anyone?) and artists who we think define the times — both the past and present.

And here’s where we want your help.

If you’re a sports artist, we want to hear from you — whether you paint, do sketch cards, comics, lithos, sculpt or do other types of work. (If you don’t do sports, but are in the non-sports card field, drop us a line, too.) Or, if you’re not an artist — but you collect certain artists’ works — tell us about them.

We hope to profile a few of you in the issue — and we have some other surprises in store as well.

In a comment below, tell us your (or their):

— Name, link to website or portfolio along with a Twitter handle and/or email.

— and some of your past credits.

— and some of your specialties (media, sports, topics, etc.).

— and some of your influences.

We’ll use this as a launching pad for some of the issue’s inclusions — and a teaser of sorts for some of the surprises we hope to have in store for the issue.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

I left my corporate job about a year ago to pursue my real passion, which is art (and sports of course). Sports art is taking off and I can hardly keep up with demands for my work! Never a better time to buy or sell sports art.

I haven’t had too much public exposure so hopefully Beckett could “discover” me.

Please check out my website.

I’m not directly influenced by other sports artists. Most sports artists out there aren’t doing it my way (see ‘Pop-Pop’ work on my website).

The sports art I’ve done so far has been for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Sporting KC / Adidas

I specialize in capturing moments, and making eyes move. Though I work digitally (painting), I learned how to produce artwork by hand with paint and air brushes when I was a kid. My personal work includes all different sports. Football, BBall, Baseball, Boxing, Swimming. If there’s action, I’m there.

My influences come mostly from the concept art field in the film and game industry. Guys like Stephan Martiniere, Ryan Church, and Feng Zhu are some of my heroes. Of course, nobody forgets Neiman easily, either :)

You have got to include Graig Kreindler in your article. He is not only (in my opinion) one of the top sports artists working today, he’s also an all-around swell guy (and no doubt too humble to toot his own horn, so allow me to do so). He covers primarily baseball subjects (but has done other sports as well), and works in a photorealistic style that is especially pleasing when applied to those “old timers” who played before the advent of color photography. His level of research and attention to (obsession with?) detail is unparalleled, and his depiction of light, be it from the sun or stadium lights, in his work is masterful. In addition to his own website, he has a running thread on the Net54 board where he showcases works-in-progress and finished pieces, and if you read through it in chronological order (be prepared to spend several hours doing so), you can see how he continues to grow and improve as an artist:http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=1173

I haven’t done much sports-related work. A few years ago I painted a statue for the Philadelphia Phillies, and I most recently did artwork for the “Heroes” base cards for ITG’s 2012-13 Heroes & Prospects hockey set.

Back around 1950 an older gentlemen I know when he was a teenager did some art work on Baseball teams from the 50’s and sent his art work out to be autographed by the players. Most of the players signed the piece and sent it back to him. I made a FaceBook page featuring the artwork.

Consider Monty Sheldon for inclusion. He was inspired by George Sosnak and Eric Black whose work was for sale at west coast collectors’ shows. He has a rich sports history including Topps 2009 Chicle football (28 cards), 2010 Topps Chicle baseball (35 cards), 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Relics 1 of 1 (25 cards), and his own series of sketch cards. Monty is better known for his Artballs®, painted baseballs, showing very life-like portraits and action scenes with detailed backgrounds. He also paints “team balls” with 10 – 14 dime-size portraits on the ball commemorating a particular team – say the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers. Monty’s Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Very-Mysterious-Artball-Painter-Monty-Sheldon/220955254596509, shows some of his work ranging from an Eddie Gaedel Artball® painted on a ball measuring about 1.5 inches in diameter to a full-size (12 inch) softball featuring an all-PED team. Monty’s work (110 Artballs ®) was featured last year at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City in conjunction with the MLB All-Star game and will be at an art show in August 2013 in conjunction with the American Legion World Series in Shelby, NC (ccartscouncil.org).

I have always loved baseball cards, been collecting since 2nd grade. When I got a chance to create work for Topps
Its been a dream of mine. The idea that the artwork I make will be seen and pulled from packs its very cool.

With every project I try to come up with a new and different way to make the art. Im a collector as well, so I want to be excited and thrilled when i pull an insert from packs. Be in may
Glow-in-the-dark text, Material on the cards, A card with moving pieces, an R2 unit with a fount panel that opens up ( for example) so the viewer can see the inside circuits.

And Idea( I hope Topps is listening ) is to take my painted baseballs- cut them from the ball and insert them into a card for an upcoming release.
So collectors could have original artwork in a different form

Having projects that I can make art for that collectors will enjoy is what its all about-
ps. Artists that I dig on … Gary Baseman, Ted Dastick Jr., Len Bellinger

I’ve been painting sports since the 80’s. My biggest influence was Dick Perez. I had the honor of being a bat boy for the New York Mets in 1991-92 where I was commissioned by just about every player on the team as well as other National League players. I am currently working on sketch card paintings for a company called In The game. I’ve had a 2 page interview written in Sports Collectors Digest and my work featured on the cover and I have also had my work published in Beckett on 2 occasions, a Joe DiMaggio in one issue and a Kerry Collins in another. I also paint on sports equipment such as baseballs, footballs, basketballs, helmets, jersey’s, etc. Please, feel free to like my page on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/JG-Sports-Gallery/270010759682017?ref=hl#

I’m relatively new to sports art, but not to the world of sport. I like to create portraits/images of popular sports cards by using cut-up 1980’s commons as my medium. I also use other unorthodox media – as long as it makes sense in regards to the subject portrayed (ie. Shoeless Joe Jackson out of cut black socks, Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas out of Band-Aids, Bo Jackson/shattered bat, Ted Williams from toothpicks, etc.) I’ve been doing this for the past 3 years, and during that time, my work has been exhibited at several museums/galleries (Ted Williams Museum in St. Petersburg, Baseball Heritage Museum in Cleveland, among others). One of my card art pieces, “Change” was also the 2012 SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference “People’s Choice Award” winner. I would view Chuck Close as an artist that had a major influence on my work. My art can be seen at: http:www.timcarrollart.com

Began as a professional artist in a collaboration with Earl Campbell in 1990.
Artist to:
The Texas Sports Hall of Fame since 1997
The National College Baseball Hall of Fame since 2006
Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame since 2010
Las Vegas Bowl hall of Fame 2011
Exhibited at The Gallery at the Ballpark in Arlington, Houston, Pittsburgh, Sports Art in Atlanta, Gallery E in Baltimore, Wild About Music in Ausitn and Los Angeles, New Orleans….
Done work for the Houston Dynamo, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Orioles, University of Texas, Kansas City Royals, several golf tournaments, Texas Legislature, the Special Olympics….and over 200 professional athletes.
Am in the Negro League Museum, Babe Ruth Museum, Texas Basketball Museum…
Won the Award of Excellence Beckett Sports Art competition 1997, 1998
I’ve probably forgotten more than I’ve listed…
I got into sports art by painting what I participated in. Football, motocross, martial arts, rugby, baseball, volleyball…I love my “job”.
BTW, I’ll see you in Dallas this weekend. I’ll be set up at the show.

On October 1, 2011, I left my day job in the design world to pursue my dream of becoming a sports artist. While i still freelance, I have been creating sports art everyday with a special focus on baseball and my beloved Cincinnati Reds.

I do not claim to be the “world’s most renowned sports artist,” but I do understand what it feels like to have sports heroes, and to live and die with my favorite teams. My goal is to provide a piece of artwork that celebrates the greatness of the athlete that you hold close to your “tattered jersey-covered” heart.

Above is a face Book link to some of my artwork, featuring 8 of the CFL’s top quarterbacks. I have been drawing sports since, oh, about 6 years old. I also do celebrities, etc., but my main focus has always been sports. About 90 % of my work is done with simple pencil crayons, though I have done oil paintings as well. I painted the entire Calgary Flames team from their Cup winning season in 1989 for a restaurant then called Greco’s in Calgary, Alberta. My work has always been a hobby but constantly get hounded to pursue a career. You can see more of my artwork, including hockey, football and celebrities at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150789333477534.472727.748787533&type=3

I’ve done sports sketch card work for Leaf for the Best of Football release and the upcoming Best of Hockey release.

Also, I’ve done a lot of commission work for guys around the country. Mostly baseball and the Rangers, but I’m not opposed to painting anyone in a unique style that’s a bit street and a bit pop culture.

I’ve done sports sketch card work for Leaf for the Best of Football release and the upcoming Best of Hockey release.

Also, I’ve done a lot of commission work for guys around the country. Mostly baseball and the Rangers, but I’m not opposed to painting anyone in a unique style that’s a bit street and a bit pop culture.

Chris – Thanks for inviting me to drop a line here. Since you asked:
Easiest way to contact me is via Twitter. My handle is @jaredkelley.

Collectors became familiar with my art from my first art cards in 2011 Goodwin Champions (Presidential Masterpieces). Upperdeck reached out to me looking for a traditional portraitist who could (and was willing to attempt) recreate oil-like portraiture onto their sketch cards. Before that point I was strictly doing large scale portraiture within the Southeastern region and teaching 7-12th grade art at a parochial school in Alabama. But since the Presidential works, I’ve seen a huge interest in my sports art illustration and now devote all my time to painting. I now juggle traditional portraiture for private clients and trading card sports illustration work. The trading card artwork has been the best form of marketing I have ever been blessed to use. Essentially, the hundreds of cards I paint per year are promoting my art and name not just in the US but throughout the world.

Other notable credits:
2011 Upperdeck Parkhurst

Aug 2011 – Present: Became Lead portrait painter for In The Game, Inc and her sister companies, Sportkings and Famous Fabrics. Products with my art include – Horrors of War II 2013, Sportkings Series E 2012, Gettysburg 2013, History of Hockey 2012, and various artworks for redemption programs offered thru ITG.

2013: Became the official portrait artist for National Trial Lawyers Association (Temple University)

Expertise:
I paint predominately in acrylic paint, but have included watercolors, ink, and oils in my sports art in the past. My traditional portraiture is painted atop aluminum panelling.

Influences:
I am influenced by artists such as Norman Rockwell, Steve Penley, Stephen Holland, Leroy Neiman, and Daniel Greene. Most recently I have become an avid fan of contemporary artists Graig Kreindler, Gary Davis, Glen Green, and Dino Guarino. These are the people from whom I gain deep inspiration.

Once again, Thanks for the interest and may I say that Beckett should have no trouble finding highly qualified artist in this thread. I recognize a lot of the names as they are friends I follow via social media forums. I hope that Beckett is able to inspire other artists out there to expand the limits of art within the Hobby!

Well, I am a former US Marine and took a long hiatus from artwork. After the Marine Corps I did contracting work in Afghanistan and to kill time I started drawing again. I took paper and colored pencils. the sports art that I did over there got rave reviews. I decided to use the GI Bill and go to art school which I am currently enrolled. If you check out my facebook page, “Art by Jeff Lang”, The Emmitt Smith was one of the pieces I finished while overseas. I have since done many other pieces for charities and autograph signings and for some pro athletes. I work in all mediums to include oil, oil pastel, colored pencil, pencil, and acrylic. Some of my pieces vary in style as well from realistic to more abstract. Hopefully you can take a few moments to look at my work and use my story for the magazine. Feel free to email me. I am working on a few different projects right now and have plenty of other work I could send you images of.

Well, I am a former US Marine and took a long hiatus from artwork. After the Marine Corps I did contracting work in Afghanistan and to kill time I started drawing again. I took paper and colored pencils. the sports art that I did over there got rave reviews. I decided to use the GI Bill and go to art school which I am currently enrolled. If you check out my facebook page, “Art by Jeff Lang”, The Emmitt Smith was one of the pieces I finished while overseas. I have since done many other pieces for charities and autograph signings and for some pro athletes. I work in all mediums to include oil, oil pastel, colored pencil, pencil, and acrylic. Some of my pieces vary in style as well from realistic to more abstract. Hopefully you can take a few moments to look at my work and use my story for the magazine. Feel free to email me. I am working on a few different projects right now and have plenty of other work I could send you images of.

I’m a Calgary based sports artist. I was a amateur athlete for the last 10 years competing in track and then bobsled. Now I focus on creating unique sports art that captures the excitement and emotion of famous moments. I combine multiple images/perspectives and mediums to create dynamic/energized artwork. Thanks for posting this it’s been great to look at all these artists amazing work.

I am a Detroit area based sports artist. I mainly create sketch cards, but I also do other larger artwork. I have recently completed my first hand-painted baseball of Stan “The Man” Musial. I am deeply passionate about baseball, and I love to create artwork of some of the greatest players in the game, as well as some of the greatest moments in the history of the game. I love art, and I love baseball. I love creating art in my studio from the game that I love! Thank you for the opportunity to post here!

Hi, my name is Mark Trudeau, and I work with a Sports Artist, Doug West, of Rochester Hills, Michigan. He has been painting for 30+ years, done many Super Bowl covers, Cooperstown covers, commissioned paintings, etc. He is very well known by many team owners, athletes, and private collectors. Right now, he is completing a work of Miguel Cabrera, and met with Miguel last week to go over status.

Anyway, I just found on your beckett website that you were looking for Sports Artists for an upcoming issue of Beckett (or something like this). Are you still open for that? We are currently working on Doug’s biography, and list of works, for a new website, which is how I found you.

If we could do something, or at least submit more info for you, could you reply? This would be great, and I am sure Doug could help in any way. He and I are both Beckett fans from way back, lol.

I am a sports artist. My work is displayed in vintage sports apparel stores in the Pennsylvania area. I specialize in acrylic, pastel and pencil. I’m not very well known ,b ut I’m trying hard to get my work out there. I hope your company can help me!

I don’t know if you closed this off or if you have found who you are looking for, but there is one artist you should interview. Brian Kong. He has done some amazing artwork for Topps. I collect and when it comes to owning a sketch from baseball I go for the Brian Kong. So far every box of cards I have purchased I have not had the luck of getting one of his sketches I have had to purchase. I read somewhere his work is right up there with Dick Perez. Not bad to be considered an equal to Dick.

I was born in a little town, Steubenville, Ohio and raised in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia in a town called Weirton. Twenty minutes from Pittsburgh, PA. The Steel Valley! Ohio Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Sports towns and sports rivalries. Our claim to fame was our diversity, our steel mills and most of all what I call the 19. Nineteen professional, baseball, football and basketball players that came from one town and were sports was integrated in 1956 where the Weir High Red Riders had a black quarterback. Names that include Russ Craft, Philadelphia Eagles, Ron “Fritz” Williams, Milwaukee Bucks, Bob Jeter, Green Bay Packers, Tony Jeter, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kevin Miller, Minnesota Vikings, Bill Tucker San Francisco 49ers and my Brother Dana Williams.

My art has been a journey of self-discovery and self-expression as a man who celebrates the African American experience and our a achievements in sports history. It is a process by which I choose to explore my past, and the past and present and future of African Americans in the sports industry, despite the roadblocks that have been thrown at us in the world of sports including sports art.

I am intrigued by sports in any capacity and of all cultures–what has been internally deemed worthy of remembering. Is it truly possible to re-visit ones past when the information stored has bee inevitably distilled by time, dreams, love and fear My memories are both a source of pain and healing – my spring of interrogation and inspiration. My memories of sports are what I tap into when creating my art.

I have been a teacher, coach and professional artist for over 40 years. I have been concentrating the past few years on depicting the X’s & O’s used by all football and basketball coaches but using my own unique painting style. This work is for football and basketball, the two sports I have coached. I often do work that is “general”, i.e., showing plays with no particular team in mind. However, I do most of my work as commissions, images of specific plays of selected teams and incorporating relevant colors and specified image sizes (either on archival board or stretched canvas), or even as prints. I have done several basketball teams and football teams but am open to any request. I have won awards for my coaching, teaching and painting.

Hi Chris, I came across this page and had to drop a few lines. I’m an Artist in Orange county California. I love to paint sports legends and great moments in sports, and it was a copy of Beckett Magazine that set me off. I saw
a painting of Elway on the inside cover of one of the 90’s issues and I decided I wanted to do that, and be on the inside cover of Beckett too! lol I kept at it while raising my kids, now they are off in the world and I am back to one of my passions.
I don’t know if you are still doing this in 2015, if not you should. If it inspired me, it will continue to do so for others. I like the work of Norman Rockwell, because he told stories. I try and do that in my sports art, so that it’s more than just a face or a moment. The Artist who did the Elway painting offered that.
So thank you for allowing me to share, and I promise not to be mad if you want to make my dream come true ha!!.